The former Chief of Staff to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Sir Okey Ahiwe says Mr Peter Obi is his role model.
Ahiwe disclosed this during an exclusive interview with Mazi Dickson Iroegbu, anchor of a popular TV show, Nigeria Right Now that airs weekly on Africa Independent Television, AIT.
The governorship candidate emerged after the death of Prof Isaac Ikonne who was the PDP flagbearer in Abia State.
Ahiwe stated that his performance as Chief of Staff and leadership style coupled with being a team player contributed immensely to his becoming the flagbearer of PDP after the unfortunate demise of Ikonne.
He said:
“If I tell you the story of my emergence, you will agree with me that I am not a desperate person. I originally bought the form for House of Representatives, but when Prof emerged as the candidate, the party approached me to drop the form for balancing purposes because both of us come from the same local government. They appealed to me to allow somebody from Isiala Ngwa South to go to House of Reps. I dropped the form. I am not a desperate person.”
On what he will do differently as a governor, Ahiwe says he is a fresh breeze with a combination of experience from both private and public sector that will enable him drive the business of governance from the business angle because Abia State is known for trade and commerce.
He intends to create an enabling environment, expand the cities in Abia State, build infrastructure and encourage the construction of modern gated estates as obtainable in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Ahiwe says he will encourage real estate developers by providing the basic infrastructure for these new estates which includes roads, power, security etc.
He also wants to ensure even development across all the zones in Abia State.
Speaking on the effect of the Obidient movement in Abia State, the guber candidate explained that the obedient movement was in support of power shift to the south east.
“The average southerner has sympathy for Peter Obi because after eight years of presidency in the north, naturally it is supposed to come back to the south, the south east. Peter Obi is a role model because he is a trader like me. He is my role model because of the way he managed Anambra State and I will not be ashamed tomorrow to go to him and find out how he did it. In Okey Ahiwe, Abians also have their own Peter Obi.”
 governorship candidate in Abia State, Sir Okey Ahiwe says Mr Peter Obi is his role model.){kind=link}